Rooftop Garden at the Rex Hotel Ho Chi Minh City Reviews

After having been to HCM for more times than i can count on my fingers and toes, i finally decided to pop up to the Rex Rooftop. Was there with a 1st time travelling-to-VN buddy. Boys' nite out.

The views were nice, and sadly we were too late for the live performance, having already hopped an irish Bar earlier to touch base with some local friends. The Staff are very friendly and attentive (not difficult to expect tho', as there weren't too many customers already at that time.)

Prices for Drinks and a nice dessert ice cream are average to expensive for local rates - but not too much considering the "star quality" of this hotel. (cocktail was about $8 USD and icecream about $7) Both ratings shld actually be getting 3 1/2 stars, but i guess there's no option for that.

The Rooftop Garden at the Rex Hotel is quite infamous. First of all the Rex Hotel was a sort of basecamp for journalists during the Vietnam-American War. Next to that, during this war American officers gave daily press conferences in this hotel that became known as the 'Five o'clock Follies'.

Also the view from the Rooftop Garden is said to be very impressive. We decided to go up for a drink and take a look. We found out drinks were ridiculously expensive (not that big of a surprise) and that the view was very average. This Rooftop Garden can easily be skipped if you ask me.

Voted “The Best Bar Of South East Asia” by Newsweek Magazine in 1996 and included in “1000 places to see before you die” by American Travel writer Patricia Schultz

It was because of those mentioned above that I got so curious about Rex Hotel and it's Rooftop Bar. At first I wanted to spend the night there, but It was fully booked. Hence, the next best thing was to just chill at the Rooftop Garden one mid-afternoon.

As the Rex Hotel is one of Saigon's classic central hotels, it is quite accessible. It's just right next to the People's Committee Building and across the little park where the Ho Chi Minh's statue stands... or sits.

A humid-yet-cloudy-and-breezy afternoon is the perfect time to just sit back and watch the city go by with a cocktail on one hand and cigarette on the other.

As for the Rooftop bar itself, it's quite a big area - spread out and there are tables near the walls with those high chairs that you have to "climb up" to just so you can get a good view. Of course if you get to stay in one of the middle tables, then it totally defeats the purpose of going there.

It's a bit weird to see that big elephant and birdcages though.

The price of the cocktail was reasonable. The Rooftop Garden is a nice pit stop after you've done your walking tour of Saigon.

Great food and fine atmosphere on the roof of the Rex HotelSep 18, 2007

While spending a couple of days in Ho Chi Minh City our curiosity was arroused by the posh Rex Hotel. This hotel has been popular during the American war and lots of journalists had stayed here. There's a bar and restaurant called Rooftop Garden located on (you guessed it) the roof, where you're surrounded by neon lights and have a nice view over the Le Loi Boulevard. We had a marvellous dinner at this place, probably one of the best ones we had during the 3 weeks we travelled in Vietnam. Considering the fact that we rarely had dissapointing meals in this country that certainly is something positive! One warning though: be prepared to pay a lot more than your average bowl of Pho noodle soup on the street. All in we had dinner and drinks for 25 euro. Peanuts for western standards but rather expensive for Vietnamese.